Maple limbs, poles, tool wear, spears, and trail markers

[SteelFire]

We already have maple saplings, so it stands to reason there are maple trees around too. I'd like to see maple limbs added for several purposes, and to go with that an overall more complex limb harvesting system. With maple, I would propose limbs be as uncommon as the saplings and with a slower respawn rate than other limbs. Longer, hotter burning hardwood or, as laid out below, a tool.

If we're potentially going to have the ability to make some outdoor/portable shelters, then we're going to need supports as well as coverings. Where would we get those supports except from harvesting them from things in the world? So, maybe we could have a system where a limb could be chopped up for firewood, or, for more time and effort, cut into longer pieces for poles. In time, it would be cool if this could be extended to furniture, and maybe instead of just rough, reclaimed wood, we could put in the time and effort to get boards/planks from things made from those. That would go along with some of the ideas for crude containers and/or shelter maintenance.

Now we've got a pole item that can be used for a number of different purposes.

So, first, I'd see a maple pole being used as a spear. Let's face it, I think most of us, given a knife and a relatively straight, sturdy length of wood; we'd be putting a point on it. I'd rather have a crude spear to try fending off hostile critters, especially multiple hostile critters, than getting into a struggle. Of course, that would have to be balanced by appropriate animal behavior: miss a thrust and its on you just the same; stabbing at a critter takes physical effort like brandishing a flare or torch to deter them; and of course, they take wear and tear with use and maybe could even potentially break suddenly, on a hit, at lower %s.

It might also call for a bit more complex damage system where an animal won't bleed to death unless it's received greater than some % damage, otherwise it might simply bleed for a bit (allowing tracking and further fight/killing) and be weakened for a while before starting to heal back up. Of course that would work whether you stabbed it with a spear or knife or whacked at it with a hatchet. Maybe even some tougher animals could take an arrow or bullet in a non-vital area and survive it, maybe adding the potential for a sandbox to kinda develop its own 'old bear' with old arrows or broken spears sticking out of it.

So, we've got a pointy stick. Awesome. Let's add another pointy stick, but one with a metal spearhead. If we can forge arrowheads, I don't see why we couldn't forge a spearhead. For that you'd obviously need to be able to use the forge, then the workbench to attach it.

Now, here's where I'd like to also see some more complex tool wear systems. Knives are easy, you just sharpen them. Hatchets though, really have two components; the head and the handle. Similarly with a metal spear, you'd have the head and the shaft. It would be nice if those were two different components with separate wear. Sharpness along with time and job used for could affect the wear of the handle. A dull tool requires more force, therefore wears out the handle/shaft faster. The hammer would work similarly. So, when the handle wears out and needs replacing, I'd say you would need the workbench and a set of tools.

Obviously, a spear and a hatchet/hammer don't need the same amount of wood. So, how about our pole bing further worked with a hatchet to break it down into 3 or 4 shorter pieces. There are our tool handles... but, there too are short stakes we could need for outdoor shelters or, combined with cloth, placeable trail markers. Heck, we see one on the menu screen, we just can't make them, so let's make them. Maybe shelter stakes and markers wouldn't be as picky about the type of wood used, as they wouldn't really need to be a good hardwood. Maybe we'd also need a small hammer to go along with shelter stakes and trail markers too.

Thoughts?

[the_watdabney]

I like these ideas and think that they would make excellent additions to the game.  I have always wondered why we can't already make spears, as they are one of the first things I do when I go hiking anywhere.  It can be used as a weapon but also as a walking stick which could lower the frequency of sprained ankles.  The hatchet/knife can both be used to just fashion a spear in minutes, but the addition of a forged piece of metal to make a spear head I think might be going a little too far.  We can already forge arrowheads (I literally just learned this) but I think that takes a lot of skill to pull off in the first place, and forging a spear head is even more of a specialized skill in my opinion.  Don't get me wrong, I'd love it, but I'm thinking of an average person lost in the woods is not necessarily going to have those skills.  Maybe have it as something that over time you can learn, with lots of trial and error, or skill ups from making arrowheads that can build up to spear heads? 

I also like the idea of different wood types, since most forests have a lot of diversity in the way of trees, therefore different wood types that are able to be used for different items.  Most forests in the north are primarily conifers, but other trees could be rare and difficult to find to add to the skill of survival.  Maybe have them as unidentified trees because again, the average lost person is not a biologist or familiar with all the flora/fauna in the forest, and again have them be something that takes trial and error to be able to craft things from them once you learn what kinds of wood works best for different applications. 

I have often thought of that in regards to other things in the forest, like edible plants/fungi/lichen, some with berries that may or may not be poisonous.  Or even grubs and other types of insects that can be foraged from tree bark and used either as food or as bait for fishing.  Some things would depend on the season once that becomes part of the final game and could add to the experience of being wise as to what to eat and what to avoid.

[Wastelander]

Spears wouldn't necessarily need a spearhead. Humans have hunted larger animals than those present in the game with wooden spears with a fire-hardened tip for a couple dozen millenia. Those don't last long, but are cheap and easy to make - sharpen one end using a knife or hatchet (even a sharp rock or shard of ice would work, but it'd take longer) and then hold said tip over a fire, turning it so it gets black from all sides, just be careful not to set it alight. Would be a nice crafting fail - you spent all this time and calories on sharpening your stick only to end up with a brand, I guess I'd laugh pretty hard the first time it happened.

[chanster115]

Vary good ideas, another use for the long poles is to take 3 and make a spit at which to put a tarp or ~5 sown together deer hide to make a tent. I also have  the idea that different wood types would degrade faster than others. Ceder would be cheep but wouldn't last long, wear's fir would be stranded, then maple would last the longest. The hammer head should be nearly indestructible, but the handle would only last so long.

[Wastelander]

Also, throwing sticks!

Quote

As a survival tool, the throwing stick is one of the most effective and easiest tools to obtain. Other than a weapon, it can also be used as a digging tool for making fire-pits and underground shelter. A curved limb will suffice as a throwing stick. Ancient throwing sticks were believed to be made of hardwood with a weighted or curved end to one side to impart momentum so the stick stays straight and does not wobble in mid-flight.

from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throwing_stick#Survival_tool